A census of general surgery consultants in England and Wales: implications for the current and future surgical workforce

Introduction This study aimed to describe the composition of the current general surgical consultant body in England and Wales and quantify levels of inequality within it as well as describe future workforce challenges Methods This is an observational study of all general surgical departments in England and Wales. Consultant general surgeons were identified and data regarding their gender, country of undergraduate medical education, subspecialty and private practice were recorded. Results Of the 2,682 consultant general surgeons in England and Wales identified for this study, just 17% are women, with gender inequality most marked in university teaching hospitals and among certain subspecialties. Almost 40% of consultants did not obtain their primary undergraduate degree in the United Kingdom and there are considerably fewer surgeons who studied abroad in university teaching hospitals. Over 40% of current general surgical consultants have been qualified for more than three decades and there is no equivalent sized group of younger consultants. Conclusions There remains considerable gender and racial inequality in the consultant general surgical workforce, with pockets of a lack of diversity within university or teaching hospital surgical departments and some subspecialties. The proportion of surgeons in their fourth decade of clinical practice represents the largest group of current practising consultants, which points towards an impending workforce crisis should senior clinicians seek to reduce activity or consider taking early retirement.